


Surprises

by arpita



Category: Baahubali (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Gen, I don't even know why I've written this?!, Since I've written this so anyway, Well - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-26
Updated: 2019-05-26
Packaged: 2020-03-19 17:56:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18975352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arpita/pseuds/arpita
Summary: One brat gets outsmarted by another.





	Surprises

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MayavanavihariniHarini](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MayavanavihariniHarini/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Gada Parva](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18930655) by [MayavanavihariniHarini](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MayavanavihariniHarini/pseuds/MayavanavihariniHarini). 



> I'm really sorry, Shubhra! :D

The Palace of Maahishmati is seldom bereft of a crowd. Mornings were always the busiest part of the day, with the court proceedings waiting to be set in motion. What seemed like hundreds of counsellors, and Amatyas rushed around, whispering in what was supposed to be a gait of importance. 

‘ **Self-imposing morons!** ’ Bhallaladeva grunted as another Amatya whooshed past him.

Amarendra knew better than giving a vocal retort. Politics didn’t interest Bhalla much, he knew. All he believed in was pure, untainted show of power, _everywhere._

‘I wonder why mother wants us to attend this daily idiocy.’ He grunted again.

‘Everything is not as easy as you deem it to be, Brother.’ Amarendra spoke finally. ‘Mother only wants us to understand that.’

‘Oh of course!’ Bhalla yawned. 

_**‘Amma’s yes-man!’**_ Amarendra heard a very clear whisper. 

‘So be it.’ he winked back, his voice clear as a bell.

 

***

The Princes’ attitudes were way more than just an indication of who would rule Maahishmati later. Amarendra listened to everything with rapt attention, Bhalla barely spared any as he only wishes to race back to the Kridangan once all of this is done.

‘We have a messenger, Your Highness.’ someone says.

‘Wherefrom?’ The Queen asks.

‘Saurashtra, My Lady.’ the attendant bows.

_Saurashtra?!_ , Bhalla suddenly sat up to take notice.

‘Isn’t that-’ he jerked his head at Baahu just beside him, only to be silenced by an answering pressure on his arm. 

A harried-looking messenger - What did he expect? - came in the moment Sivagami Devi raised her hand in affirmation. The regular reverential-cum-sycophantic bow followed, Bhalla’s eyes made all the effort to not roll back in bored disgust.

‘Pray tell,’ - The Queen Mother began, ‘What does the King of Saurashtra require from us?’

Yeah, and get lost! Bhalla soliloquised.

‘It isn’t the King, Your Highness.’ the messenger clarified, with a slight tremor in his voice.

Bhalla didn’t know what suddenly caught his interest. Straightening himself up once again, he asked.

‘Who is it from then, your Princess?’ came the curt query.

‘Yes, My Lord.’ Bhalla realised that that midget of a girl was upto something by the sheer tremors this man was exuding in every second of his presence. 

‘Speak no further.’ he said. ‘Just convey your Princess that I shall be her sole visitor in two days.’

‘My Lord.’ the messenger bowed and left.

It was only a matter of minutes till the Elder Prince of Maahishmati took leave of the Sabha after having been subject to boredom for almost three hours.

Amarendra still hadn’t spoken a word. Sivagami Devi still wondered where she had differed in her upbringing of the two boys. 

***

Saurashtra was a far less crowded territory than Maahishmati, and hence more peaceful, and perhaps even more aesthetic, Bhalla thought as he dismounted his horse. Manservants scurried all around him, at his beck and call, waiting upon their much-esteemed Royal Guest.

So far, all hadn’t been as bad as he had thought. The Palace here wasn’t as majestic as that of Maahismati, but wasn’t too frugal either, going by his standards. It had a subtle, simplistic, decor matched by something that Bhallaladeva might even term as a “charm”.

_So far so good_ , he mused.

So far he had met only the Maharaja, who -with his all too self-serving smile- had commanded for the best to be reserved for him. After all, he was Sivagami’s eldest child, and impressing him, definitely had its benefits.

Not that Bhalla didn’t know. Saurasena’s smiles and his feigned meekness actually betrayed nothing. However, Bhalla’s etiquette simply told him to smile away, and reciprocate, like every well-mannered Royal must, for the sake of diplomacy, and-

_-For unearthing unknown motives._

***

It was almost evening, and nothing extraordinary had happened yet, which, in turn, was becoming annoying. Oversubmissive manservants, and shamelessly giggling maids -ogling at his toned physique- were grating on his nerves. He realised that his only place was the arena, since that girl,- _Vaibhavi, -no- Vaishnavi, -no- whatever it was-_ hadn’t yet begun her attempts to seduce him.

_In fact, she was nowhere to be seen_. Like she had disappeared.

***

‘Anyone else?’ Bhalla smirked, victoriously thumping his dust-laden thigh. He had single-handedly beaten the best sparring wrestlers that Saurashtra had. The last one had given him a tough fight, but the man lacked technique, and of that Bhalla had plenty.

‘Bring me the biggest, bulkiest mace you have.’ he boomed. ‘I’m not done yet.’

Pat came the mace, as the other men left the Kridangan.

Being manoeuvred in the hands of one of the most esteemed mace-wielders in the land brought particularly lesser-known tremors in the Kridangan. Of course, it was meekly built in comparison to that of Maahishmati, that endured the sparring of these princes with God-like strength and agility. 

And of course, in their testosterone-laden routines, such Princes with God-like strength, and a distinct overestimation of themselves paid far less attention to their surroundings, some of which might just usher in a surreptitious shadow. 

Bhalla hadn’t noticed, just as she had expected.

 

_**WHOOSH!-** _

An arrow landed right in front of Bhalla’s left foot. 

**‘WHAT THE-’** he snapped around looking for the offender.

‘I wouldn’t do that if I were you, Kumara.’ a feminine voice grazed his ear before he whooped around. Before he could accustom himself to the first arrow (-and of course, the voice), -

_**WHOOSH!** _

Yet another arrow made its appearance, this time on his right wrist. The precision with which it was shot made sure that he didn’t bleed, but was simply disarmed. And the archer simply stayed a shadow, a mere shadow with a feminine voice

The mace clanged to the floor with a magnanimous thud.

‘So,’- the voice continued, ‘the valiant mace-wielder of Maahishmati stands defeated in front of a novice!’

She laughed out loud, of course mocking him. Incensed, Bhalla leapt forward to catch the intruder by her arm. 

‘If it isn’t the Princess of Saurashtra herself!’ he exclaimed, as he pulled her into a more visible light.

‘Your Highness.’ a mocking smile tugged at Vallabhi’s lips.

‘I would have been pleased to make a sombre introduction, though.’ Bhalla clutched on to her with an even firmer grip, wishing to elicit a scowl at the very least. Needless to say, the Princess was the diametric opposite of his first impression of her.

‘And I would rather prefer a show of, well, as _you_ might put it, strength.’ Vallabhi simply inched herself closer.

‘Impressive.’ he didn’t lie. That midget had really made an impression, which for its part had resulted in Bhalla wanting to have her just in the manner as she had wished for, during her brief visit to Maahishmati.

‘You didn’t seem the warring type.’ he went on. 

‘I don’t seem a lot of things, Kumara.’ she retorted, her words as sharp as the arrows she had shot mere minutes ago. ‘Women must do well to keep a few secrets to themselves.’

_The brat spoke eloquently as well,_ Bhalla’s approving smile reflected his thoughts. 

_Her father literally underestimates her,_ he thought in natural succession.

‘My father is a diplomatic fool.’ she voiced his opinion, startling Bhalla out of his wits as he loosened his grip on her.

‘Are you a telepath as well?’ he questioned.

‘No, I just have a very good rationale, and-’ her mockery made a return - ‘I know better than seeking an alliance to one who isn’t interested.’ 

_Oh, I am very interested,_ Bhalla rued his past behaviour.

‘And if you would excuse me, Your Highness, I must return to my chambers.’ she said, stupefying him even further. 

‘I must escort you back, then.’ he eagerly made an attempt for reconciliation.

‘That won’t be necessary.’ Vallabhi was surprising him with every passing second. “I happen to know my palace routes better than,’- she eyed his sweaty, exasperated, grimy form from top to bottom, admiring his sinewy thews with a sense of triumph, - ‘an _outsider_ , who is ignorant of both Saurashtra, and the palace.’

Smugly, she strutted away, ensuring that Bhallaladeva noticed what he had missed out on, both in her seductive, yet steady stride.

‘Also,’- she suddenly made a sharp turn, -quite unlike the one she had made in Maahishmati, startled by the sudden assault made by his mace- ‘my name, Kumara Bhallaladeva,- is Vallabhi, not Vaishnavi, or Vaibhavi.’

_I shall remember you forever, Midget,_ he smiled as she walked away.


End file.
